Akantha Delphinia Kouris▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Nickname ● Captain - her crew, Anthy - only very, very close friends
Age ● 33
Gender ● Female
Height ● 6'4"
Race/species ● Human, believe it or not
Romantic preferences ● Homoflexible
Role ● Captain of the Suitor's Thorn/Pirate Councilman of the West
Kingdom ● Born in the Forgotten Forest, so no kingdom
Allegiance ● Herself and her ship
Occupation
● Captain of the Suitor's Thorn: Akantha is at the helm of the Suitor's Thorn, the vessel that patrols and controls the Western Seas. She leads her crew directly and does what she can to ensure that everyone is taken care of, acting not only as the captain but also as the lead navigator. Because she was elected Captain and didn't just take the role, she rules the ship as more of a democracy than a dictatorship and takes absolute control only during battle or while accosting a ship. Even their courses are determined by vote.
Councilman of the West: Along with the three other members, Akantha's job is to solve problems and fix what issues there might be a-brewing on the sea. She hasn't been captain long enough to attend one of the meetings and therefore has yet to introduce herself to the other members. Most of the ships in her seas, however, already fly under her allegiance and she has proven her worth and ability.
Hobbies
● Gambling: Akantha learned how to play many of the games common on her ship after leaving home, but she proved to be a quick learner and became a force to be reckoned with on her ship. As such, her crew doesn't really like playing with her anymore, but they're more than happy to watch her hustle someone when they dock.
● Writing: She is an avid journaler and has several books filled with her adventures. She also enjoys writing fictional stories and will occasionally allow her closest confidants to read her work. She reads extensively and has a small collection of books in her cabin at any given time. She does allow her books to be borrowed every now and then but insists on using a system that is almost like a library.
● Sparring: Having grown up with several elder brothers and taught how to hunt, Akantha spent much of her youth either wrestling hand-to-hand or shooting long-range. It wasn't until she stepped onto her very first ship that she learned how to hold a sword or anything even close to it, and she loved the activity from the first moment. She's not the greatest, by far, but she does enjoy sparring with her crew whenever they are up to it to hone her abilities and even asks some of the more skilled to teach her every now and then.
The Personal Things
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Personality ● She takes herself and her job very seriously. Akantha doesn't believe in showing weakness and makes an effort to show her crew that she is strong and capable of protecting them. With a crew of almost entirely women, it's almost required that she does this. When confronted with enemies of any kind, she is well known for her ruthlessness and unmerciful nature and is willing to lay down any measure of punishment on those who cross her. She does not believe that a pirate captain can afford to be soft or kind, especially when they're a woman in a world dominated by men, and she rarely ever lets her guard down long enough to make lasting relationships. Akantha knows what she is. She knows that a pirate, while they can be kind and gentle to a few, is still a villain. She has the brand to prove it. Despite all of this, Akantha does let her guard down to the few that have known her long enough to prove lasting, and the few who remain are very rarely lovers. It is only around these select few that her playful and teasing side does come out. However, years of negative experience have taught her how to build those walls back up at the snap of her fingers.
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Strengths
● ● Brains... : Akantha is the lead navigator on the ship, as well as the diplomat, the strategist, the negotiator, etc., etc.. She uses the lessons she learned as a child as well as her natural gut instincts and has led her crew and those to fly her colors to great success. She also is a very quick learner, and reads extensively and plays strategic games to keep her mind sharp.
... and Brawn: Being that she's pretty much an Amazon, Akantha is as strong as she is clever and boy, is she clever. She spends much of her time above deck with her crew, helping where they need her and never afraid to get her hands dirty. She is the last person to bed and the first to rise, easily the hardest worker on the ship, and also able to lift three times her body weight. This is perfect for work around the ship and protecting herself and her crew, although it does make sparring a little unfair.
● My, My, How Can You Resist Me?: If there's one thing Akantha is a natural at, it's being charming. She can lie through her teeth and convince you that the sky is green with a sweet smile on her irritatingly beautiful face. She uses this to get whatever she may want and has charmed many a married woman into bed with little effort.
Weaknesses
● A Pretty Face Leaves Me Weak: Having spent so long shoving down her sexuality, Akantha is finally free to act on her desires and experience life as she always wanted to. However, it does leave her open to vulnerability and she has been taken off guard by more than one pretty face and alluring figure. She's lost her wallet, her clothes, even her favorite flag to a pretty face and is still trying to learn her lesson.
● Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!: Nothing will ever be enough for Akantha. It's not a curse, but rather simply a result of denying herself all of her life. As such, she will never truly be satisfied. No beautiful figure beside her will ever be her first love. No kill will ever be as satisfying as killing her former captain would have been. No drink will ever be as sweet as the wine at her wedding failed to be.
● A Guilt I Can't Deny: Despite all the time that's passed, she will never fully forgive herself from running away from her son and husband. She is happier now, of course, and pleased to finally be herself, but there remains a measure of guilt that never really will go away. She still loves them and keeps a small painting of their little family hidden somewhere in her belongings, and does every now and then wonder whatever happened to her son. However, she would never be willing to return to the Forgotten Forest and makes a point of never sailing by it if she doesn't have to.
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Biography
● Akantha was lucky to be born to one of the more influential families in her tribe in the Forgotten Forest. Her uncle was the chief and childless, doting greatly on his mischievous niece despite her elder cousins and brothers who sought his approval and attention. Her father, the fourth and youngest son, had married well and raised his children all equally. All of his children knew how to navigate the forest by the stars and learned how to sail as effectively as they could sew or hunt. Akantha, however, saw little use in many of these lessons and would often attempt to get out of them. Fortunately for her future, her mother would grab her by the hand and scold her before continuing to instruct the lot of them. Akantha always knew that this wasn't the life for her. She envied the freedom that the sailors that passed by their village all seemed to have, yearning for the day when she'd be old enough to trade their goods for a life of her own. Unfortunately, being raised equal to her brothers did not keep Akantha from the path she was meant to go on as a daughter of the tribe.
She grew into a tall, beautiful young woman, athletic and as strong as any of her brothers. This strength and beauty led to a proposal from a neighboring tribe's chief's son. It was a more advantageous match than was ever expected for a daughter of a lesser son, so her father and uncle accepted on her behalf. Her new husband was handsome and kind, and he loved her from the moment that he saw her. She... liked him. He was nice, she thought, and their wedding night was pleasant enough. However, her eye was never drawn to him, but rather to his sister. She kept her feelings silent and secret, never allowing herself to act on them. She prayed to the gods for relief from her shameful urges and believed that her prayers had been answered when she became pregnant. She tried very hard to connect to the child and to her husband, but her shame resurfaced with every glance and every desire for her sister-in-law. Her feelings were amplified when Akantha finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy and her sister-in-law spent almost all of her time with her and the baby. Then, as if to punish her further for her shame, her sister-in-law received a marriage offer from a young warrior. The younger woman eagerly agreed to the match and Akantha forced a smile as she watched the first love of her life marry someone else. Her heart broke with her sister-in-law's every happy smile and every hushed whisper about her new husband's sexual prowess. Akantha couldn't handle it any longer. Like a thief in the night, she packed her few precious belongings, some food, and a good amount of money. She left a note beside her sleeping husband, her heart tugging at the thought of leaving him and their child. He was a good man, after all, and a loving husband. Yet, she knew she had to go. She kissed him and her son one last time, then vanished.
Her youth had given Akantha valuable experience for sailing and her beauty made it easy for her to talk her way onto a ship. She initially wanted to head towards Muriel to build a life for herself and live somewhere where she could explore her confusing, and up-til-now ignored, sexuality, but found herself at home on the sea. She landed in Pirate's Cove and answered a call for a ship of entirely women, her heart swelling at the possibility of sailing with people like herself. She stepped onto the Lady of the Night with more excitement than she'd ever felt. However, the ship was captained by a man who treated the crew like his own personal harem. She found herself once more trapped in a relationship with a man, only he was nothing like her sweet husband. Captain John Muslin was forceful and mean, only leaving the ship safe when he docked in the Cove for Council meetings. She grew bitter and resentful, but put her strength, skill, and beauty to good use and quickly rose through the ranks of the ship. She used what little time she had to herself to explore her sexuality and cultivated several relationships on and off of the ship, gaining a reputation amongst the crew as a woman who could and would get whatever she wanted. Her dangerous and sexy appeal was further amplified when she was captured and branded, using her charms to seduce the wife of the jailer to release her. Soon enough, the captain died, although no one seems to agree on how. Akantha, as First Mate, took over the ship until they could dock and vote on how to proceed. The crew all agreed: they wanted her to be their new captain. She agreed and set to work updating the ship, renaming it to the Suitor's Thorn. The new Captain Akantha Kouris inherited the title of Councilman of the West, sailing around the Western seas and letting them all know who was now in charge. She took no prisoners and did not suffer a dissident and soon had complete control over the west, letting out a strong message to the rest of the world: The Suitor's Thorn was not to be trifled with, and neither was his captain.
